I am planning to buy a new surround processor preamp this week, most likely in the next 48 hours. I need balanced speaker outputs and would like to keep the cost under $2k, which greatly limits my options. The 3 main options I am considering at this point are an Outlaw 976, a Marantz AV7705, or a Marantz AV7704 (at substantially lower cost that the 7705). If I can find a really good deal on the Yamaha CX-A5200, like Amazon had earlier this month, then the Yamaha might be a possibility as well, but without that deal, it's more than I'd like to spend. Comparing the listed features on the Outalw 976 and Marantz AV7705:
Outputs/Channels -- Outlaw is 7.2, Marantz is 11.2
Inputs -- Outlaw has 4 HDMIs (2.2), Marantz has 8 HDMIs (2.2)
Video -- Both have 4k HDR
Surround Formats -- Only Marantz has Dolby Atmos and DTS X. Both have Auro 3D, and common formats.
Bluetooth -- Marantz supports, Outlaw requires $60 bluetooth receiver
Wi-Fi/Streaming -- Marantz has better built in support, including Amazon voice control skill
Future Changes -- Marantz has better support for upgrades via downloading firmware
Room Correction -- Only Marantz?
Warranty -- Both are 3 years, Maybe Marantz is slightly more likely to still be around after 3 years
Sound Quality -- Subjective, maybe Outlaw has edge?
Physical Size -- Outlaw is ~half the height (4.6in vs 9.75in height) and weight (12lb vs 23lb)
Component Quality/Reliability -- ???
It's clear that the Marantz has more features. However, most of the key features that only the Marantz have are ones that I expect to never use. For example, my theater supports 7 channels and does not support Atmos. I don't need the extra support for 11 channels, nor do I need Atmost / DTS X. Comparing the manuals, it sounds like lacking this features may make the manual and setup more straightforward on the Outlaw. Similarly I expect to only use 2 HDMI inputs. Maybe I'll expand to 3 or even 4 in the future, which the Outalw supports; but I can't imagine that i'll ever need 8, as is supported on the Marantz.
I expect my main usage is going to be playing movies via my DVR or Blu-ray player. It would be nice to be able to stream music from my phone, but this is not something I'd use often, and not a key requirement. That said, Marantz clearly has the edge in Bluetooth and streaming. The Outlaw doesn't even support Bluetooth without getting an external receiver, which costs $60. Given the difference in price, the Outlaw is still much lower price with the extra $60 for receiver included.
Sound quality and reliability are more subjective. Looking at reviews and comments from owners, I get the impression that Outlaw may have superior sound quality. It also has better numbers on some of the related technical specs. However, I haven't seen a formal comparison, so this is largely subjective with a lot of biases. I have no idea which product is more reliable, but Outlaw seems to be a much smaller company, which may mean that they are less likely to still be in business at the end of my product life, more difficulty in finding parts, etc.
I'm sure I am missing many important factors. What are some good reason to choose one of these products over the other?